


Waiting on some beautiful boy

by aewriting



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, High School, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, School Trip, There were two beds... but only one got used ha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24522928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aewriting/pseuds/aewriting
Summary: Michael and Alex are tasked with sharing a room on their senior class trip.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 38
Kudos: 249





	Waiting on some beautiful boy

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a discussion on the Discord server and grew into this fun little fic. Have some fluffy teenage Malex in all of their awkward grandeur.

"Michael?”

“Yeah, Mr. G?”

Mr. G glances around almost nervously. “You sure you’re okay rooming with Alex for the whole trip?”

Michael frowns. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Mr. G swallows hard, clearly flustered. “Er, no reason.” Shakes his head a bit. “I’m just glad we’ve got all the room assignments settled now.”

Michael shrugs.

“Alright,” says Mr. G, clapping his hands together. “If at any point you need to make a change or anything, just let me know. We’ve got an odd number of boys, and David Ramirez is in a single right now, so that’s always an option.”

Michael has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “I’ll be fine.” _More_ than fine, if things go according to plan.

“Good, good,” murmurs Mr. G.

***

“No leaving the room after 8pm. At 8pm,” Mrs. Carlson says, looking stern, “we tape the outside of the doors. If your tape is broken, you are gone. It’s a six hour round trip between Roswell and Santa Fe, and I don’t think any of your parents want to do that.”

Mr. G nods in solidarity. “No drinking. No smoking. No weed. No drugs of any kind! And absolutely no sneaking out the windows or trying to use the balconies to get from room to room. Also, no using the pool after hours...”

Michael tunes out, eyes Alex. It’s been a week. A week since Alex tried to kiss him in the shed and Michael freaked the fuck out. He’s thought about it nonstop, turned over about a million redemptive possibilities in his head - talk to him at school, hope he enters the tool shed again some evening, go see him at the UFO Emporium where he works...

But then he remembered this trip, and everything’s actually falling into place. He, he can’t avoid him if they’re sharing a room - right?

“I’m going to hand out your key cards now,” Mr. G says, so serious. “And I want you to remember - whoever you are rooming with, that is your buddy! Your guy!”

“Or girl,” Mrs. Carlson adds.

His _guy_ , huh? Michael looks at Alex, slunk against a pillar in the back of the lobby. He looks uncomfortable, like he doesn’t want to be here. Well. By the time this trip is over, Michael is hoping Alex won’t want to leave.

“Wherever your buddy goes, you go too, understood?”

No response.

“Understood?” Mrs. Carlson repeats, in a louder, sterner tone.

“Yes,” comes a smattering of voices.

“Excellent,” she says. “We will be passing out itineraries along with your key cards. Couple highlights, though - curfew is 8pm. No one is to leave their room between 8pm and 7am. We will be checking. At 7, we will start knocking on doors, making sure everyone is awake, and we will all meet in the lobby for the breakfast buffet at 7:30. We board the bus at 8:15.”

Michael tries to ignore the rumble in his stomach at the words “breakfast buffet.” His breakfast is usually a sleeve of the cheap peanut butter and cheese crackers that he picks up from the gas station. They’re fairly filling, and they keep forever, even in the back of a truck. The idea of a real breakfast? As much as he wants? The trip would be worth it just for that.

Let alone rooming with Alex Manes.

***

“You boys all settled?” Mr. G asks them.

Alex is sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the window, duffel bag next to him, looking surly.

“All good, Mr. G,” Michael says brightly, with his pluckiest smile.

“Great, Michael!” Mr. G says. He’s the physics teacher and the volleyball coach. Has always liked Michael.

He turns to Alex, frowns. “We gonna be okay, Mr. Manes?”

Alex blows out a short, exasperated breath. Michael feels like he’s missing something.

“There won’t be any trouble? Like on the regional choir trip?”

Michael, who’s studied Alex just as much as he’s studied any academic subject, notices the clenched jaw, the flash of anger.

“That was bull - “ he stops. Shakes his head. “That was a bunch of lies that Ryan made up.”

Mr. G gives a tight little nod. “Takes two to tango, Manes, I get that, but... but just know I’ve got my eyes on you. Definitely don’t want to have to place another call to your father.”

And Michael sees everything - the almost-flinch, the way Alex swallows thickly before replying. “No, sir,” he says in a short, clipped tone. Not, not his usual voice or mannerisms.

Even Mr. G seems to notice that, frowns a little. “Well, okay. And Michael, what we talked about earlier, if you need to make a change...”

Alex is looking at Michael now, eyes narrow. Michael holds out his hands, guileless. “I’m sure Alex and I will be fine for a night or two.” Or fifty. Or, or a _hundred_...

Alex scoffs a little.

Mr. G softens. “Alright. Well, you’ve got 15 minutes before curfew.”

“Just tape us in now!” Michael says. “I think we’re good for the night.”

Alex regards him with a raised eyebrow.

“Nowhere I’d rather be,” Michael adds.

“Great!” says Mr. G. “Thanks, Michael. Have a good night, guys, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Mr. G!” Michael calls.

The door shuts, and Michael can hear Mr. G, true to his word, taping the door shut.

The irony, Michael thinks, is that it wouldn’t matter. Not for him. He’s good with his powers - easy enough to ease off the tape, put it back with his mind. No one would be the wiser. But he’s wasn’t lying earlier - there’s nowhere he’d rather be.

He turns around, and Alex is still sitting awkwardly on the edge of the bed, eyes cast downward.

“It’s okay,” he says softly, maybe sensing Michael’s eyes on him. “You can go room with David if you want.” Alex shrugs. “If it’s weird here with me.”

Michael sits down on his own bed. “I’ve been living with you for two months already.”

Alex’s brow furrows. “That’s not, its not the same. I’m not, like, in the shed with you.”

Michael bites his lip. “You are sometimes.” Decides to be brave and look right at Alex. “The best times.”

Alex’s head whips up. He looks at Michael, questioning. Hopeful?

It fortifies Michael. “Yeah,” he breathes, getting up, going over to Alex’s bed, sitting next to him, so close. “Yeah, Alex.”

He starts to lean in, but Alex leans back, looking tense, eyes darting. “What, what about...” he trails off. “ _Michael_ ,” he says, sounding so pained.

“I _like_ you, Alex.”

Alex eyes him suspiciously. “Like me?” He exhales shakily. “What, what does that even mean?”

And at that, Michael just goes for it - leans in, into Alex’s space - not too fast. “Means I wanna kiss you, Alex.”

Alex eyes go so wide, and he nods, keeps nodding, even as Michael presses his lips to his.

Michael loves Alex’s shocked little gasp, the way he leans into it...

Doesn’t, doesn’t love the way he quickly pulls back. Looks away.

Alex is frowning, seems to be looking down at the floor, taking in deep breaths.

“Alex?” Michael asks, worried.

The way that Alex responds... doesn’t sound like the Alex Michael knows. “You ever done this before?” he asks, voice tight.

“Um, _yeah_ ,” Michael says, almost laughing a little, because - _yeah_. He’s been doing this since he was 14. But... “But never with, with...”

“With a guy,” Alex says, a little resigned.

“No,” Michael says softly. Lays his hand on Alex’s knee. “And never with someone I’ve liked as much as I like you.”

Alex’s odd detachment vanishes immediately, and he’s looking at Michael in... in _wonder_. It's wonder, on Alex Manes' face right now. And Michael put it there.

“I want this,” Michael whispers. “Want _you_.”

***

_Knock knock knock._

They both startle, maybe a little too accustomed to rude awakenings, to the need to be immediately alert and on guard.

“Shit,” Alex mutters into Michael’s shoulder, edge of panic.

“Rise and shine!” comes Mr. G’s voice, way too chipper for 7am.

Michael feels how all of Alex’s muscles have locked up. He rolls over, grips Alex’s hip. “Stay here." He pulls the covers up, up past Alex's bare chest, his shoulders. "Just like this."

He hops out of the bed, pulls on the closest pair of underwear he finds. They’re Alex’s, he realizes, too late, and it makes him grin. “Coming Mr. G!” he calls, and the knocking stops.

Michael pulls the door open a few inches, hears the tape rip away. Smiles. “Morning!”

Mr. G clocks Michael’s state of undress, seems unfazed. “Morning, Michael. Everything, everything go okay here last night?”

Michael shrugs. “Just fine. Turned in early, actually. Manes here is more of a night owl, go figure. I don’t think he’s really awake yet.”

Mr. G peers past him, looks at Alex “sleeping” in the far bed. Looks at Michael’s bed and frowns slightly.

“You, you already made your bed?”

Shit. “Yeah. I mean, I was up.”

“Um, that’s very nice and all, but it’s a hotel.”

Michael looks at him, uncomprehending. “Okay...?”

Mr. G’s frown deepens. “Have, have you ever stayed in a hotel, Michael?”

Michael shakes his head, and Mr. G suddenly looks almost sad.

“Oh. Well. Um, there are housekeepers. At hotels. They make your bed for you.”

Michael scoffs a little, genuinely surprised. “For real?”

“Yeah,” says Mr. G. He swallows, musters up a little smile. “No worries though. I appreciate you boys following the rules last night. Now,” he says, “can you be a good buddy to Mr. Manes here and make sure you’re both up and dressed and ready for breakfast?”

“My pleasure,” Michael says.

Mr. G looks at him approvingly. “Great! See you in the lobby for the breakfast buffet at 7:30.” He leans in a bit. “They’ve got bacon.”

“Sounds good,” Michael says enthusiastically. “See you soon.”

With a little wave, Mr. G closes the door, and Michael locks it behind him. Makes his way back to the bed.

“You heard the man, Alex. I'm supposed to be a good buddy to you."

And the way Alex looks right then, rumpled and sleep-soft, one eyebrow arched - it sends Michael somewhere, somewhere he didn’t even realize he could go. Somewhere warmer, better. Somewhere with... with kindness and caring. Smiles and coffee and, and kids and music and fucking _togetherness_ and...

Fuck. Wow. Okay.

Michael shakes his head a bit, blows out a breath. “And as _buddies_ ,” he says, running his hand up Alex’s side, “we have to stick together. At all times. And I think it’s time for our shower.”

Alex laughs, lets his head flop back to the pillow. Reaches out for Michael, pulls him in, kisses him. “Best trip ever,” he murmurs.

“With the best person,” Michael whispers and, god, he _means_ it.


End file.
